• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close

If the international airshow held at Le Bourget every two years is relatively familiar, the architectural history of the 1953 exhibition hall specially built at the southernmost tip of the airfild site is less well known. Opened for the twentieth international airshow, on the first ocasion it was held at Le Bourget, it bears witness to the whole history of these airshows, first organised in Paris fifty years earlier. It is also an emblematic creation in the career of the architect André Granet, a fervent defender of all things aeronautical. He was one of the founders of the GIFAS, the French association of air and space industries, and also one of the founders of the airshow itself, which he ran for almost fifty years. He was first appointed organiser of the 'salon' in 1909 when the event was held in the Paris Grand Palais. After the Second World War, the development of aviation and the progress in aircraft design rendered this venue (built for the 1900 exhibition) too small and inappropriate. The airshow was also meeting with ever greater public enthusiasm. It was decided then to move the airshow to the site of the Bourget airport in a permanent, modern and functional building. The building's design comprised a semi-circular main hall with two wings, evoking those of an aeroplane. It was only a few years later, however, that the new exhibition hall achieved its final form. It has since been completed by other exhibition pavilions, and the structure itself is now invisible beneath a uniform metallic cladding. The hall was the venue for the 2015 Paris conference on climate change and will be used as a media centre for the Olympic and paralympique games planned for 2024.

Foamed concrete bricks (FCB) have high levels of porosity to sequestrate atmospheric CO2 in the form of calcium carbonate CaCO3 via acceleration of carbonation depth. The effect of density and curing conditions on CO2 sequestration in FCB was investigated in this research to optimize carbonation depth. Statistical analysis using 2k factorial and response surface methodology (RSM) comprising 11 runs and eight additional runs was used to optimize the carbonation depth of FCB for 28 days (d). The main factors selected for the carbonation studies include density, temperature and CO2 concentration. The curing of the FCB was performed in the chamber. The results indicated that all factors significantly affected the carbonation depth of FCB. The optimum carbonation depth was 9.7 mm, which was determined at conditions; 1300 kg/m3, 40 °C, and 20% of CO2 concentration after 28 d. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and residual plots demonstrated the accuracy of the regression equation with a predicted R2 of 89.43%, which confirms the reliability of the predicted model.

The Chinese electric power industry, including its coal industry and other energy industries that are not efficient, contributes to China’s serious energy shortages and environmental contamination. The governing authority considers energy conservation to be one of the most prominent national targets, and has formulated various plans for decarbonizing the power system. Applying the trans-log cost function, this paper examined the trans-log cost function to analyze the potential inter-factor substitution among energy, capital and labor. We also investigated what role human capital played in energy substitution for the electric power sector during the period from 1981 to 2017. Three key results were derived: (1) energy is price-insensitive, (2) there exists large substitution sustainability between both capital and labor with energy, and (3) human capital input not only enhances the extent of energy substitutability with capital and labor but also is a substitute to energy itself. These findings imply that the liberalization of the electric price mechanism is conducive to lessening energy use and augmenting non-energy intensiveness, and that energy conservation technology could become more sustainable by investing more capital in the electricity sector, thereby achieving a capital–energy substitution and a decrease of CO2 emissions. We further suggest that the priority for the Chinese electric power industry should be to attach more importance to increasing human capital input.

Abstract The methodology, the site and the dataset as well as the emissions scenario considered in the weather file definition influence the numerical evaluation of efficiency measures resilience. With a complete statistical and critical approach, the paper analyzes the importance of these aspects by means of a residential case study simulated in Benevento, a city of south Italy. Using data monitored from 2015 to 2020, a current weather file is built with different methodologies. The comparison indicates that there is not repeatability of the year chosen as a reference for the various months and thus the resolution of the building energy balance could bring different results. Some future climate projections are also generated on medium (2050 s) and long (2080 s) term considering different emission scenarios. With long term projection, the heating degree days are reduced also of − 21% meanwhile the cooling degree days are more than double compared with the current condition. This suggests a remarked transition towards a dominant cooling climate for Benevento. Moreover, when the climate change is considered, the insulation intervention and the installation of double glazed low emissive window is not resilient because the heating energy need decreases also of −56%, but the cooling energy need increases of + 62% (2080 s). If the efficiency measures include also the cool roof and the external shadings, the cooling demand could be reduced until –33% in some scenarios (e.g. RCP 4.5-50th percentile) and increased (+31%) in some others (e.g. 2080 s).

This research aims to present a standardized evaluation system to review and further enhance users’ levels of satisfaction with technologies, facilities, and services of a modern smart city at a time when the smart city paradigm has shifted from the focus of its infrastructural features to citizens. The study also seeks to verify the standardized system, so as to explore the possibility of its future application. For the goals, this research established the Structural Equation Model (SEM) based upon the basic structure of the Customer Satisfaction Index, which is a widely used ex-post assessment model, and upon implications of related studies. To verify the SEM, this study chose two cities, which are located far away from one another and employ different business methods, and conducted a survey of 212 and 197 residents, respectively, with the results being applied to the model for analysis to ascertain if the SEM is reliable and adequate. The analysis results showed that the model secures explanatory power in statistical terms, partially proving that it can be developed into a post-evaluation system for a citizens-centric smart city down the road. However, as meaningful differences were spotted in accordance with characteristics of each urban project, this study tried to come up with the background information of and reasons for such variations, to present implications for urban planning.

Tsunamis pose a significant threat to the construction of Nuclear Power Plants. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive study regarding the potential threat of tsunamis and mitigation measures using detailed data at prospective locations. This assessment is a prerequisite for effective environmental impact planning and analysis. To determine the suitability of a prospective location, careful consideration of natural factors, including earthquakes as triggers for tsunamis, is essential. The main objective of this tsunami research is to assess the level of safety of potential locations against tsunami hazards and develop appropriate mitigation strategies. This research uses the Cornell Multigrid Coupled Tsunami (COMCOT) tsunami modeling technique. This modeling approach utilizes topographic and bathymetric data obtained through extensive field surveys. In addition, this research aims to determine the maximum tsunami height in the inundation area and identify potential tsunami hazards arising from various scenarios related to the active tectonic potential of the Philippine Manila Trench. The Bengkayang Gosong Beach area and West Kalimantan are among the candidate locations that may be affected with the estimated tsunami height being between 0.48 meters and 0.62 meters. The tsunami arrival time was between 9 hours 10 minutes to 9 hours 24 minutes. These findings play an important role in conducting comprehensive risk assessments for nuclear power plant development, ensuring that necessary steps are taken to reduce potential hazards associated with tsunamis.

AbstractInfluence of adding CuO nanoparticles in the base fluid on flow and heat transfer in an inclined half-annulus was studied considering constant heat flux as boundary condition of hot wall. Control Volume based Finite Element Method (CVFEM) is applied in order to simulate procedure. Pressure gradient source terms are eliminated by using vorticity stream function formulation. Influences of CuO volume fraction, inclination angle and Rayleigh number on hydrothermal manners are presented. Results indicate that inclination angle makes changes in flow style. The strength of eddies reaches to its minimum value when the upper wall is hot. Temperature gradient enhances with rise of buoyancy forces while it reduces with augment of inclination angle.